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Columbus Fire Department, TV star raise funds for West, Texas

Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 8:26 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 8:26 p.m.

A crowd of nearly 300 converged on the Columbus Fire Department Monday night in support of a TV star's mission to help survivors of first responders who died in a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.

Within hours, the group raised more than $21,000 in equipment and donations — far surpassing the challenge laid before them by another department.

The Texas explosion killed 14 — at least 11 reported to have been firefighters — and wounded more than 200 people on April 17. The West fire department lost apparatus, equipment and turnout gear in the blast, which leveled a four-block area around the plant.

“Moonshiners” star Tim Smith said the town also lost two engines and a tanker, along with all the equipment on board — a loss he estimates at $1 million.

“We cannot replace those guys who were killed in this incident,” he said, but he refused to let time pass without offering aid in some way. Smith is traveling from Climax, Va. to Texas, stopping at fire departments and businesses along the way to raise money and supplies for the small town and its fire department.

His co-stars in the Discovery Channel docudrama on the world of bootlegging — Josh Owens and his dog, Cutie Pie, and Bootleg Bill — are traveling with him.

Smith has been a volunteer firefighter about 14 years. For the past eight, he has led the Climax Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Virginia as its chief.

The firefighters in Texas, he said, were just doing the job they do, responding to a fire at a local plant when they were killed by the blast. When he saw the catastrophe unfold on the news, he said, “my heart was broken.”

Smith knew he had to do something. “My first thought was to get in my vehicle and just drive... and go down to help them,” he said. “Then people asked, ‘what else are you going to do?'”

He decided on a road trip, picking up supplies along the way from Climax to Atlanta and then to Texas. Fifteen stops have been planned so far.

Minutes after 3 p.m. Tuesday, the convoy had made it to Atlanta, with plans to hit Texas on Friday.

Smith's team started its journey Monday morning, stopping at four fundraising sites before arriving at the Polk County fire station at 10:30 p.m.

The crowd had dwindled to about 50 when he arrived, but the supplies and donations collected had grown to fill four or five tables.

“West Mecklenburg raised $1,308 and put a challenge out to us” to beat them, said Columbus Fire Chief Bobby Arledge.

The Columbus department raised around $1,500 in monetary donations and gave Smith about $20,000 worth of fire equipment.

“It filled up his bus last night. He's going to have to get a U-Haul,” Arledge laughed.

Smith said Tuesday that they have raised about $85,000 in donations so far, including food, money, water and equipment. They're going to need a bigger bus.

“Right now we can't even get to the bathroom on the bus,” he laughed, but they continue to accept donations.

Even though more than a thousand miles separate their stations from the one devastated in Texas, Arledge and Smith said they can relate.

“We're such a tight-knit community. All of the emergency responders feel like we're all brothers and sisters,” Arledge said.

Members of his department went to Charleston, S.C. when nine firefighters died battling a blaze at a furniture warehouse in 2007. “We feel their pain and know what they're going through,” Arledge said. “We do anything we can to try to help anybody out.”

“Our departments are trained to fight fire,” Smith said. “We would have done the same thing (the firefighters did in Texas)... They had no warning.”

Smith said he can relate to the small community of about 2,800 residents of West. “We have to depend on each other... we've got to take care of ourselves,” he said.

Arledge said Owens — a longtime friend — called him Friday night to tell him what Smith was doing and asked if the Columbus department would help.

In less than 48 hours, Arledge said they spread the word through the media and social media and welcomed a crowd of 200 to 300 people at the station around 7:30 p.m. Monday. Emergency responders from throughout the county and beyond showed up to lend their support.

The Columbus fire chief said they donated old air packs, turnout gear, rain coats and other supplies from their station and thanked Smith for what he was doing.

“I'm just a mail carrier here... I'm just a bootlegger” on a mission, Smith said.

All proceeds raised from Smith's “Operation West, Texas” will benefit the West, Texas Fire and EMS Fallen Hero Fund, established by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to assist the survivors and coworkers of the fallen rebuild their lives. To find out how you can help or to follow Smith's journey, visit www.climaxvfd.com.

<p>A crowd of nearly 300 converged on the Columbus Fire Department Monday night in support of a TV star's mission to help survivors of first responders who died in a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.</p><p>Within hours, the group raised more than $21,000 in equipment and donations — far surpassing the challenge laid before them by another department.</p><p>The Texas explosion killed 14 — at least 11 reported to have been firefighters — and wounded more than 200 people on April 17. The West fire department lost apparatus, equipment and turnout gear in the blast, which leveled a four-block area around the plant.</p><p>“Moonshiners” star Tim Smith said the town also lost two engines and a tanker, along with all the equipment on board — a loss he estimates at $1 million.</p><p>“We cannot replace those guys who were killed in this incident,” he said, but he refused to let time pass without offering aid in some way. Smith is traveling from Climax, Va. to Texas, stopping at fire departments and businesses along the way to raise money and supplies for the small town and its fire department. </p><p>His co-stars in the Discovery Channel docudrama on the world of bootlegging — Josh Owens and his dog, Cutie Pie, and Bootleg Bill — are traveling with him.</p><p>Smith has been a volunteer firefighter about 14 years. For the past eight, he has led the Climax Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Virginia as its chief. </p><p>The firefighters in Texas, he said, were just doing the job they do, responding to a fire at a local plant when they were killed by the blast. When he saw the catastrophe unfold on the news, he said, “my heart was broken.”</p><p>Smith knew he had to do something. “My first thought was to get in my vehicle and just drive... and go down to help them,” he said. “Then people asked, 'what else are you going to do?'”</p><p>He decided on a road trip, picking up supplies along the way from Climax to Atlanta and then to Texas. Fifteen stops have been planned so far. </p><p>Minutes after 3 p.m. Tuesday, the convoy had made it to Atlanta, with plans to hit Texas on Friday. </p><p>Smith's team started its journey Monday morning, stopping at four fundraising sites before arriving at the Polk County fire station at 10:30 p.m.</p><p>The crowd had dwindled to about 50 when he arrived, but the supplies and donations collected had grown to fill four or five tables.</p><p>“West Mecklenburg raised $1,308 and put a challenge out to us” to beat them, said Columbus Fire Chief Bobby Arledge.</p><p>The Columbus department raised around $1,500 in monetary donations and gave Smith about $20,000 worth of fire equipment. </p><p>“It filled up his bus last night. He's going to have to get a U-Haul,” Arledge laughed.</p><p>Smith said Tuesday that they have raised about $85,000 in donations so far, including food, money, water and equipment. They're going to need a bigger bus.</p><p>“Right now we can't even get to the bathroom on the bus,” he laughed, but they continue to accept donations. </p><p>Even though more than a thousand miles separate their stations from the one devastated in Texas, Arledge and Smith said they can relate. </p><p>“We're such a tight-knit community. All of the emergency responders feel like we're all brothers and sisters,” Arledge said.</p><p>Members of his department went to Charleston, S.C. when nine firefighters died battling a blaze at a furniture warehouse in 2007. “We feel their pain and know what they're going through,” Arledge said. “We do anything we can to try to help anybody out.”</p><p>“Our departments are trained to fight fire,” Smith said. “We would have done the same thing (the firefighters did in Texas)... They had no warning.”</p><p>Smith said he can relate to the small community of about 2,800 residents of West. “We have to depend on each other... we've got to take care of ourselves,” he said.</p><p>Arledge said Owens — a longtime friend — called him Friday night to tell him what Smith was doing and asked if the Columbus department would help. </p><p>In less than 48 hours, Arledge said they spread the word through the media and social media and welcomed a crowd of 200 to 300 people at the station around 7:30 p.m. Monday. Emergency responders from throughout the county and beyond showed up to lend their support.</p><p>The Columbus fire chief said they donated old air packs, turnout gear, rain coats and other supplies from their station and thanked Smith for what he was doing.</p><p>“I'm just a mail carrier here... I'm just a bootlegger” on a mission, Smith said.</p><p>All proceeds raised from Smith's “Operation West, Texas” will benefit the West, Texas Fire and EMS Fallen Hero Fund, established by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to assist the survivors and coworkers of the fallen rebuild their lives. To find out how you can help or to follow Smith's journey, visit www.climaxvfd.com.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>